What is rickets and what causes it?
Rickets is a condition that affects growing bones – so it only occurs in children. (Children in this article includes babies and teenagers.) Bones are made strong by a mineral which contains calcium. When a child has rickets, there is not enough “mineral” in the bones. This makes the bones softer and weaker, and also causes weak muscles. The main cause of rickets is lack of vitamin D. It is vitamin D which regulates the bone building process and the way the body handles calcium. Lack of vitamin D is caused by problems with our diet and lifestyle. Most of our vitamin D is made by the body itself when sunshine shines directly onto skin. People can lack vitamin D if they spend too much time indoors, or cover up when outside. The problem is worse in cold climates, and for people with dark skin when the effect of the sun on the skin is less. Some vitamin D is obtained from certain foods: liver, oily fish (such as sardines, herring, tuna, salmon, and mackerel), and egg yolk. A diet low in th
